Location information is becoming more important and prevalent.
In one example application of the use of location information, carriers, shippers, freight hauling services providers, third-party logistics service providers and courier services providers as well as other logistics and freight service providers (freight hauling) benefit from monitoring the location of vehicles in their fleets or under contract. Monitoring the location of vehicles helps improve efficiency because it allows for real-time or near real-time decision making when matching loads with vehicles. For example, by monitoring the location of fleet vehicles, a dispatcher may better understand which vehicle is the most appropriate (e.g., geographically closest, appropriate size, etc.) to send to a location for a load pickup. Conventional systems for monitoring vehicle location have relied on global positioning systems (GPS) to provide the vehicle's location. These systems require a GPS receiver to be installed in each vehicle. Moreover, some of these systems require the installation of additional dedicated equipment in each vehicle.
In addition, at least in part due to limitations of conventional systems for monitoring vehicle location, a common practice in the vehicle location monitoring services industry is to charge a user a standard flat monthly fee for monitoring services. This practice may represent a substantial cost to a user or organization that, for example, may wish to monitor a relatively small number of vehicles or a relatively small number of loads for a relatively short amount of time.